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Southwest Metropolitan Water and Sanitation District is honored to provide water distribution and wastewater collection services to 18,017 residences and businesses in western Arapahoe, eastern Jefferson, and northern Douglas Counties. The District appreciates the opportunity to communicate timely news and information about its services and related topics to citizens, builders, vendors, and other interested parties by use of this website.

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District News Articles

The Southwest Metropolitan Board of Directors recently approved a Capital Master Plan for 2017 - 2026. The purpose of the master plan is to itemize, prioritize and schedule water and wastewater facility expansion, rehabilitation and replacement projects to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of budgeting and cash flow analysis. The Plan enables the District to be pro-active in confronting water and sewer system modifications and rehabilitation.
The 2017- 2026 Capital Master Plan proposes expenditure of $680,612 in 2017 and $2,961,562 during the entire ten year planning period. The first project, CIP 17-1W, contemplates replacement of 1,649 feet of 8-inch asbestos-cement pipe with PVC pipe in West Chatfield Avenue between South Pierce Street and South Lamar Court This project is being planned and constructed in coordination with Jefferson County which is rebuilding the West Chatfield Avenue roadway. The County will share water main replacement costs with the District. The District’s share of project costs is expected to be $244,536.... Read more

12/8/2016 CELEBRATING THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF COLORADO’S WATER PLAN

November marked the one-year anniversary of the CWCB Board voting to approve the final Colorado's Water Plan and deliver it to Governor Hickenlooper and the people of Colorado, a plan that would ensure that the state's most valuable resource is protected and available for generations to come. To get to that moment, it took 30 months of drafting, 3 draft water plans, 8 Basin Implementation Plans, 30,000 public comments, and many years of discussions.
As this achievement was celebrated a year ago,... Read more

12/2/2016 DISTRICT BOARD APPROVES 2017 BUDGET

The 2017 budget for Southwest Metropolitan projects expenditures of $2,353,237; $1,624,533 for general operations and $728,704 for capital expenditures. Anticipated revenues amounting to $1,233,564 will leave the District with a $1,119,673 deficit. Funds will be transferred from the District’s reserve fund to meet projected expenditures.
Operating revenue is expected to total $950,064 which is $674,469 less than budgeted operating expenses, despite an approved increase in the District’s water and sewer service fee (see article to the right). Without the increase in service fees, the operating deficit would be $1,032,349. The District has two main sources of operating revenue; water and sewer service fees which are expected to produce $$536,220, and investment income which is estimated to be $335,744 in 2017. Other than the service fee that is billed to Southwest customers on Denver Water’s monthly bill, the District receives no revenue from the sale of water nor for sewer collection services provided. Further the District does not assess property taxes.... Read more

From 1996 through 2014, Southwest Metropolitan did not charge customers for reliable delivery of high quality water obtained from Denver Water, nor for collection and transportation of all wastewater discharged by District customers to the Littleton - Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant. District operations were largely funded from income generated from the investment of reserve funds. The extraordinary drop in interest rates over the past few years and the need to spend down the District’s reserve fund by over $12.0 million to rehabilitate aging sewer infrastructure made use of investment income to fund District operations untenable.
After extensive analysis and consideration of multiple financing options, the Southwest Metropolitan Board of Directors imposed... Read more

11/25/2016 KEEP GREASE FROM CLOGGING YOUR HOLIDAYS

‘Tis the season to enjoy excellent holiday food. For homeowners and sewer utilities alike, however, the holiday season can be a troubling time of year.
Potential trouble with household wastewater systems stems from pouring fat, oil and/or grease down the drain when cooking those holiday meals. Cooking oil is the number one cause of sewer line backups in homes, food service businesses, and public sewer systems. Once the grease cools and settles, it adheres to drains and sewer pipes like glue. As deposits buildup and harden, they can potentially create a serious blockage and cause a costly backup or sewer spill. For the homeowner, grease poured down the drain can result in a serious clog and an expensive repair bill that can spoil holiday festivities.... Read more

11/18/2016 DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS SUCH A THING AS WORLD TOILET DAY? THERE IS, AND IT’S THIS SATURDAY

In 2013, the United Nations General Assembly officially designated November 19 as World Toilet Day. World Toilet Day is coordinated by UN-Water in collaboration with governments and partners. This week, though, is different. World Toilet Day is being celebrated on Saturday, November 18. It may sound silly, but the event is a very serious effort by the United Nations focusing on the fact that one-third of the world’s population have no toilet at home. A third of those people are children. They are vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and other major problems because there is no clean way of going to the bathroom where they live... Read more

10/21/2016 DISTRICT CREWS AVAILABLE 24/7, 365 DAYS PER YEAR FOR EMERGENCIES

To report problems with water service, sewer service, or possible water leaks, please contact Southwest Metropolitan Water and Sanitation District at 303-979-2333 BEFORE calling a plumber or another contractor. After hours emergency calls are automatically directed to an on-call maintenance operations employee who will promptly return your call.... Read more